The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-05-12
Surrender Of the French Army

0sA11 OAASA01 VI t00 &I00C4 ARMY
tt at Sedan.
CAseell's Illustrated History Of England.
The King of Prussia, perceiviag
from the heights of Frenois that Sc.
dan had been set on fire by the bonn
bardment, ordered 1T to cease, and
sent an officer OF his staff with q flag
of truce toward the fortress. The Of
ficer learned on his way that the white
flag was hanging over the gate; he
therefore proceeded on his mission,
was admitted, and obtained an audi
ence of the Emperor. The envoy BE-
gan to speak of capitulation. but Ma
poleon answered that he could not
dispose OF the fate of the army; on
that subject he must speak to General
Wimpffen. The Emperor desired to
surrender his own person into the
hands of the King of Prussia; and
sent to the latter, by General
Reille, who accompanied the German
envoy ON his return, letter thus ex-
pressed: -"Monsieur, mon Frere,-
N'ayant pas pu MOURN au mi!ieu de
mes troupes, il ne me reste qu' a remet-
ire mon epee e1.tre les mains de votre
Majestic le bon frere, Napoleon. Trans.
lation ':Sire my BROTHERHOOD hav;
ing been able to die III the midst
Of my troops nothing remains for me
but to put my sword in the hand OF
your Majesty. The King sent acour-
teous reply, in which he prayed the
Emperor to nominate and officer Of
rank to negotiate with the officer
~ L. L. "a l.; .:la fIa,,.
eral Moltke; for thecapitulations 1.-THE
French army: Wimptfen understood
the sad and humiliating duty and met
Moltke at the Prnssian headquarters,
in the village ofDodchery. The French
man tried hard to obtain terms that fell
short ofan unconditional surrender.
But the logic of facts was against him,
and Moltke, ca I'm as fate, and cold as
the grave, unfolded to him with pitiless
accuracy the full horror of the situa-
ton. Taking down a map he painted
out upon it the position OF several
German corps, and OF their batteries;
and observed, that even if the French
army resolved upon trying once more
the chance of arms, it could not, COOP
ed up as it was in Sedan, deplH into
tine, except after issuing through the
9ates-an operation which considering
the position of the German guns,
could only result in the useless butch
cry of brave men. Wimpffen argued
and protested but all TO no purpose;
and Moltke informed him that unless
thecapitulations were concluded before
nine o'clock next morning the German
guns would recommence their fire.
Nothing remained but to submit.
The terms of surrender were set
tied at 6 O'Clock on the morning OF
the I'd. of September, and being rati-
fed by the King soon after came into
force The French army became pris-
oners of war, and I'll arms and ma
terials of war, whether belonging to
the army or the fortress were to be
handed over by a French to German
Commission, the officers were to re,
tain their freedom, their arms and
their personal property on eivingtheir
Word of honor not to serve against
Germany during the continuance OF
war. There were many officers, how
ever, who preferred the nobler part
OF sharing the captivity with the men
rather than renOunce the right OF
bearing arms against Germany so long
as the war lasted. The wild excite
ment, rage and grief which seized up
on the soldiers, when they knew that
they were to surrender their arms and
60 into captivity, surpass the power
Of description. BY patches of about
a thousand at time, they were trans.
ported, during several days, by rail,
to Saarbrock, and thence to various
parts of Germany.